Berth flap lifter



Feb. 13, 1951 R. ca. CUDINI BERTH FLAP LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1948 FMM MMM I HHHHHHHHUD RD 4 Y 2 fm w A wk B Feb. 13, 1951 R. G. CUDINI BERTH FLAP LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1948 INVENTOR I Fees e G.CIJDIN/ TTORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERT-H FLAP LIFTER Roger Cudini, Birmingham, Mich., assig nor to Moynahan Bronze Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application-January 29, 1948, Serial No. 5,152

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This invention relates to railroad cars and more particularly to cars containing berths.

Car roofs are generally designed to curve upwardly from the sides and their maximum height is limited by under-pass conditions encountered during travel. Bedrooms in some cars are equipped with upper berths that are moved vertically between prone and stored positions. Elevation of the upper berth to stored position is restricted by the curved lower side'portions of the roof and while the outer side ofthe berth may closely approach the room ceiling, the inner berth side exposed to the view of an occupant will be considerably below the ceiling thus leaving an objectionable space.

It is an object of this invention to conceal such a space in a railroad car room between the ceiling and a berth side, when the berth is stored, by means of a cover device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device operable in conjunction with the berth position in a bedroom to conceal the space between the inner side of the berth and the ceiling while the berth is stored and to shift away from space concealing position when the berth is in lowered, use position.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism for actuating a cover for a space between a stored berth and a car ceiling that is actuated by the berth in moving toward stored position to close the space and which will automatically shift the cover away from the space closure position when the berth is moved to lowered, use position.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a railroad car, taken on line |I of Figure 2, showing the relation ofthe cover with the berth and ceiling.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a car room taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 4' showing the cover actuating mechanism and the berth.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the cover actuating mechanism in detail.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 1 through the upper part of the car.

Numeral I0 designates a railroad car having an outside wall I I aisle wall l2, arched roof l3, floor I4 and transversely extending partitions 141 between the outside and aisle walls providin bedrooms. In the bedrooms, a ceiling extends above the base of the arched roof and comprises two longitudinally extending portions and It at different levels joined by a vertical portion l1. Under one end of the vertical ceiling portion is provided a vertical longitudinally extending wall.

I 8 which with transverse end wall 69 provides a toilet room 20. Ceiling 2! in the toilet room. is spaced below the car ceiling to provide a baggage storage chamber 22 and end wall 19 has an opening 23 therein through which baggage can be passed into and from the storage chamber. Door 24 is carried by the aisle wall and door 25 is carried by the wall 19.

A lower berth 26 is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 21, adjacent one end to walls l2 and i8 under the higher level portion of the ceiling adjacent the outside wall and extends longitudinally substantially the length of the room when swung down to prone position for occupancy. Seat 28 is also arranged in the same section of the room as the lower berth and seat back as is fixed to the bottom of such berth, the seat being fixed to the floor and cleared by the berth when prone.

The upper berth 30 extends substantiall the full length of the room beneath the upper level portion of the ceiling adjacent the outside car wall and is adapted to be moved vertically between lowered, use position and stored upper position adjacent the ceiling. The upper berth is carried at each corner by cables 31 which pass through theceiling and over pulleys 32 to pulleys 33 at one end of a cylinder 34 in which they are resiliently anchored. Such berth mounting is the subject matter of copending application Serial No. 6,258 filed February 4, 1948, by John W. Patton and Roger G. Cudini.

The curved base of the arched roof restricts elevation of the upper berth for stored position and while the inner portion of the ceiling is in a lower level than the outside ceiling portion the inner side of the bed will be spaced below the lower level ceiling portion leaving an objectionable gap between the wall 18 and the opposite end of the room. The lower level portion of the ceiling must be above a predetermined height and consequently it cannot be designed to prevent the to a horizontal clearance position when the berth is prone and to a vertical closure position when the berth is stored. The cover device comprises a flap or apron 36 and mechanism operable to control the position of the flap.

Flap 36 is pivotally mounted on pin 3'? carried by bracket 38 fixed to the lower level portion of the ceiling and extends between wall i9 and the partition Ml at the opposite end of the room. Carried in the recessed free edge of the flap is a rubber strip 39 serving as a bumper for engaging the adjacent side of the upper berth when in stored position. Secured to the ceiling above the flap is a rubber bumper 40 limiting upward movement of the flap. These bumpers prevent metal to metal contact of the flap with the ceiling and upper berth.

The mechanism for controlling movement of the flap includes an open ended cylinder ll and an angular mounting plate 42 preferably formed as a casting, such plate being secured to the walls l8 and [9 by screws 43. The cylinder is located in the space between the upper berth and the ceiling and carries plunger 44 and spring 45, such spring acting to urge the plunger downwardly. Striker bracket 46 is fixed on an upper edge portion of the berth in line with and for engaging the plunger when moved toward stored position. Arm 4'! is pivotally mounted at one end on bolt 48 fixed to the mounting plate 42 and the free end is bifurcated and traversed by pin 39 on which roller 59 is carried. Arm 4? and plunger 44 are cooperatively connected by gear means consisting of a rack 51 on the plunger and gear segment 52 on the arm.

The flap and the arm are connected together by spring means comprising a leaf spring 53 having on end secured by screw 54 to the pivoted end of the arm and the other end extending between ears 56 of bracket 55 riveted against the inner face of the flap. The spring is retained between the bracket ears by roller sleeve 51 mounted on screw 58. This spring will pull the fiap down with arm 4? when lowered and will hold the flap tightly against the berth side when in storage position. When arm 41 swings up roller will engage the flap and carry it to horizontal position against bumper 45.

Cylinder 4| has a slot 60 for receiving gear segment 52 when assembled to mesh with rack 5i. Plate BI is arranged to cover the gear segment and the slot 6i so that upper berth bedding will not get caught in the gearing or soiled by contact with the gearing. The cover plate is retained by bolt 48 on which arm 4'! is mounted.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sleeping car having an arched roof, a bedroom and a ceiling extending in two transverse levels lengthwise of the bedroom both above the base of the roof with the higher level adjacent the car side, a vertically movable upper berth beneath the higher level portion of the ceiling extending longitudinally of the room with its elevated storage position limited by the base of the arched roof to a plane below the lower level portion of the ceiling, and a device movabl mounted on the ceiling for covering the space between the berth and the lower level portion of the ceiling when. the berth is in stored position and tar 4 clearing said space when the bed is in lowered, use position.

2. In a sleeping car having an arched roof, a bedroom and a ceiling extending in two transverse levels lengthwise of the bedroom with the higher level portion adjacent the car side of the bedroom, a vertically movable upper berth beneath the higher level portion of the ceiling levels extending longitudinally of the room with its elevated storage position limited by the base of the arched roof to a plane below the lower level portion of the ceiling, movable means for covering the space between the berth and the lower level portion of the ceiling when the berth is in stored position, and means pivotally connecting the cover means to the lower level portion of the ceiling, said covering means being adapted to be swung into horizontal position beneath the lower level portion of the ceiling for clearing said space or into vertical position for covering said space.

3. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and a vertically movable upper berth adapted to be stored below the ceiling leaving a gap therebetween, a cover device for the gap mounted on the ceiling comprising an adjustable flap, and mechanism automatically shifting the flap away from the berth and operable by the berth when moved to stored position to move the flap into gap covering position.

4. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth adapted to be stored below the ceiling leaving a gap therebetween, a cover device for the gap comprising a flap secured to the ceiling, and spring actuated mechanism mounted on the ceiling for normally shifting the flap to horizontal position, said mechanism lying partly in the path of berth movement and operable by the berth when moved to stored position to move the flap to a vertical position covering the gap.

5. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth adapted to be stored below the ceiling leaving a gap therebetween, a cover device for the gap comprising a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling for covering the gap, geared members for swinging the flap into or out of gap covering position, and means normally actuating the members to move the flap awa from the gap, one of said members being located to be actuated by the berth when moving to stored position for shifting the flap to gap covering position.

6. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a spring pressed plunger above a portion fof the berth, and a pivoted arm geared to the plunger for controlling the flap position, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal position clearing the gap when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position.

7. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a nap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a spring pressed plunger above a portion of the berth, a pivoted arm geared to the plunger for controlling the flap position. said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal position clearing the gap when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position, and spring means interposed between the flap and the arm.

8. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the {ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a spring pressed plunger above a portion 'of the berth, a pivoted arm geared to the plunger, a roller on the free end of the arm, engageablewith the flap, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal position clearing the gap when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position, and spring means connecting the arm with the flap and acting to hold the flap against the berth when the berth is in stored position.

9. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a cylinder above a portion of the berth, a plunger in the cylinder, a spring in the cylinder projecting the plunger from the bottom of the cylinder, and a pivoted arm geared to the plunger for controlling the flap position, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal position clearing the gap when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position.

10. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a bumper on the free end of the flap engageable with a side of the berth, a spring pressed plunger above a portion of the berth, and a pivoted arm geared to the plunger for controlling the flap position, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal gap clearing position when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position.

11. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a bumper limiting the upward swing of the flap, a spring pressed plunger above a portion of the berth, a pivoted arm geared to the plunger for controlling the flap position, and a bumper on the free edge of the flap engageable with a side of the berth, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal gap clearing position when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position 12. In a railroad car bedroom having a ceiling and containing a vertically movable berth limited in elevation to a position below the ceiling leaving an exposed gap therebetween, a flap pivotally mounted on the ceiling to swing between a horizontal gap clearing position and a vertical gap covering position, a spring pressed plunger above a portion of the berth, a pivoted arm for controlling the flap position, and gear means connecting the plunger and the arm for cooperative movement, said plunger being actuated by the berth while being elevated to move the flap into gap closing position and operating to lift the flap to horizontal gap clearing position when the berth is moved toward lowered, use position ROGER G. CUDINI;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,489 Ware Dec. 2'7, 1881 1,119,466 Stebbins Dec. 1, 1914 2,004,898 Marchant June 11, 1935 

